Navigation system

ABSTRACT

An improved navigation system for a vehicle. The system includes a microprocessor and memory therefor and permits the pilot of an aircraft or other vehicle to display on a screen a navigation chart showing the position of the vehicle with respect to fixed environmental checkpoints. A compact laser disk comprises the memory. Environmental checkpoints and other navigation data displayed on the screen are stored on the compact disk. The system includes a procedure for inexpensively and quickly updating system memory. The system supersedes navigation chart manuals now utilized by pilots.

This invention pertains to navigation systems for vehicles.

More particularly, the invention pertains to a vehicle navigation systemwhich, when the pilot of the vehicle touches particular points on thesurface of a display screen, permits the position of the vehicle and ofpertinent fixed environmental checkpoints in a selected geographicalarea to appear on the screen to visually illustrate the location andbearing of the vehicle with respect to the fixed environmentalcheckpoints.

In another respect, the invention pertains to a vehicle navigationsystem including a memory unit which can store and readily updateJeppesen and other conventional navigation charts which are presentlyreproduced and utilized by aircraft pilots on numerous sheets of papercompiled in a series of manuals, the manuals being continually updatedby replacing obsolete sheets with newly printed sheets containingaccurate navigation information.

In a further respect, the invention pertains to a navigation systemwhich prevents navigation information currently stored in the systemfrom being updated by an individual unless the individual has a keyaccess component which can be interpreted by the system and whichcontains an identification code that is accepted by the system.

Aircraft pilots often utilize Jeppesen and other comparable conventionalnavigation charts. Each Jeppesen chart shows the fixed environmentalcheckpoints in the immediate geographical area around a particularairport, along with other information which is useful to a pilot. Suchcharts have, for many years, been compiled in manuals which arecontinually updated to reflect changes with respect to various fixedenvironmental checkpoints and other information provided by the charts.Updates for Jeppesen manuals are mailed to pilots every one to twoweeks. Removing obsolete charts from the manuals and replacing thesediscarded charts with new charts provided in the updates requires asubstantial amount of time. Furthermore, when a pilot is flying anaircraft, locating a particular navigation chart in a manual can beawkward, particularly if the pilot is occupied with other pressingmatters and needs the chart on short notice.

One advantage inherent in the present system of providing new pageupdates for Jeppesen and other navigation chart manuals is that thecompany providing the updates has a reasonable amount of certainty thatonly those persons paying for and receiving the updates are actuallyutilizing the updates. While a pilot can, if he wishes, obtain and copythe updates received by another pilot, the frequency of the updates andunconventional size of the pages in Jeppesen manuals usually makespaying for the updates more economically practical than attempting tocopy the updates. Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to providean improved navigation system for aircraft and other vehicles whichwould permit the ready storage and recall of navigation charts depictingenvironmental checkpoints and other information concerning selectedgeographical areas and which would, while protecting the copyright ofpublishing companies in update information they produce for such charts,permit the update information to be readily incorporated into thecharts.

Therefore, it is a principal object of the invention to provide animproved navigation system for vehicles.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved navigationsystem which permits information concerning fixed environmentalcheckpoints in a particular geographic area to be readily obtained by apilot while his aircraft is either airborne or grounded.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved navigationsystem which permits information concerning fixed environmentalcheckpoints in a particular geographic area to be quickly updated andwhich enables the publishing company providing the udpate information torestrict distribution of the information to authorized individuals andcompanies.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide an improvednavigation system of the type described in which data stored in thesystem can be readily updated by utilizing a key access componentconcealable on the person.

These and other, further and more specific objects and advantages of theinvention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from thefollowing detailed description thereof, taken in conjunction with theinvention drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a navigation system constructed inaccordance with the invention and illustrating the mode of operationthereof;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the system of FIG. 1 illustrating a data inputmenu displayed on the screen of the apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the system of FIG. 1 illustrating a navigationchart displayed on the screen of the apparatus, the chart beingdisplayed on the screen after appropriate information is entered in thesystem by touching appropriate portions of the screen above thealphanumeric designations in the menu shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a navigation system embodying thepresent invention; and,

FIG. 5 is a block diagram which illustrates a typical program or logicfunction utilized in accordance with the presently preferred embodimentof the invention.

Briefly, in accordance with my invention, I provide an improvednavigation system for a vehicle. The navigation system includes adisplay screen; memory means for storing navigation chart informationfor a selected geographical area, the information including fixedenvironmental checkpoints in the area; sensor means for detecting thetouching of the display screen to generate signals representing certainenvironmental checkpoints and other chart information contained in thememory means for a portion of the selected geographical area; means incommunication with the sensor means to recall from the memory meanschart information for the portion of the selected geographical area;and, means in communication with the recall means for generating signalscorresponding to navigation information in the portion of the selectedgeographical area to display the information on the screen.

In another embodiment of the invention, I provide an improved vehiclenavigation system which includes a display screen; memory means forstoring navigation chart information for a selected geographical area,the information including fixed environmental checkpoints in thegeographical area; means for storing information to update thenavigation chart information stored in the memory means; means fortransmitting an electromagnetic radiation signal carrying the updateinformation; sensor means for detecting the touching of said displayscreen to generate signals representing certain environmentalcheckpoints and other chart information contained in the memory meansfor a portion of the selected geographical area; means in communicationwith the sensor means to recall from the memory means chart informationfor the portion of the selected geographical area; means incommunication with the recall means for generating signals correspondingto navigation information in the portion of the selected geographicalarea to display the information on the screen; and, means for receivingthe electromagnetic radiation signal and processing the signal to directthe update information to the memory means.

In still another embodiment of my invention, I provide an improvedvehicle navigation system which includes a display screen; memory meansfor storing navigation chart information for a selected geographicalarea, the information including fixed environmental checkpoints in thearea; means for storing information to update the navigation chartinformation stored in the memory means; sensor means for generatingsignals representing certain environmental checkpoints and other chartinformation contained in the memory means for a portion of the selectedgeographical area; means in communication with the sensor means torecall from the memory means chart information for the portion of theselected geographical area; means in communication with the recall meansfor generating signals corresponding to navigation chart information inthe portion of the selected geographical area to display the informationon the screen; means for receiving the electromagnetic radiation signaland processing the signal to direct the update information to the memorymeans; a key access component concealable on the person and carryingidentification information required by the system prior to the directingof the update information into the memory means; and, means for readingthe key access component to detect the identification informationcarried thereon. The update information is not directed to the memorymeans until the reading means detects the required identificationinformation on the key access component.

Turning now to the drawings, which depict the presently preferredembodiments and best mode of the invention for the purpose ofillustrating the practice thereof and not by way of limitation of thescope of the invention and in which like reference characters representcorresponding elements throughout the several views, Figs. 1-5illustrate a navigation chart system constructed in accordance with theprinciples of the invention and comprising a portable, hand-held unitincluding a LCD display screen 12 mounted in a rectangular housing 13. Acompact laser disk 15 is inserted in housing 13 through slot 14 formedtherein. Compact disk 15 contains information comprising Jeppesennavigation charts of the type displayed on screen 12 in FIG. 3. Disk 15can also contain information concerning the menu displayed on screen 12in FIG. 2. The hand-held unit shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 includes amicroprocessor control unit 51 which interfaces with display screen 12and compact disk 15 to determine the particular menu, chart, or otherinformation displayed on screen 12. A laser beam in control unit 51 isused to "read" disk 15. The strings of numbers on disk 15 which are"read" by the laser beam are electronically converted to informationwhich can be used by control unit 51 and, if necessary, shown on screen12 of display 50.

Housing 13 also carries vehicle position information means 80 forreceiving or determining the information necessary to define thegeographic location of housing 13. The location of housing 13 withrespect to particular fixed geographic checkpoints can be determinedfrom satellite navigation signals, ground based radio navigationstations or self-contained navigation equipment carried in housing 13 oron board an aircraft or other vehicle equipped with the handheld unit ofFIGS. 1 to 3. The hand-held unit can be installed in the instrumentpanel or at another location in the vehicle. When switch 16 is moved tothe "ON" position depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3, the menu shown in FIG. 2appears on LCD screen 12. When switch 16 is in the "OFF" position,screen 12 is blank. LCD screen 12 is touch sensitive such that when anindividual touches his fingertip 40 to screen 12 directly above aparticular alphanumeric character(s) displayed on the screen and thentouches screen 12 directly above the word "ENTER" 20, the characters"touched" prior to touching screen 12 directly above "ENTER" 20 areentered in computer memory 52 and cause the control unit 51 to selectfrom memory 52 the particular navigation chart or other data identifiedby the character or character combination directed into computer memory52 by touching screen 12 above "ENTER" 20. Control unit 51 then causesthis particular chart or other data to be produced on screen 12. Forexample, if after switch 16 is moved to the "ON" position and the menuof FIG. 2 appears, an individual touches screen 12 above the letters "J"(designating Jeppesen chart), "B" 16, "I" 17, "S" 18, "B" 16, "E" 24,"E" 24, "SPACE" 19, "A" 21, "Z 22 and "ENTER", control unit 51 searchesmemory 52 for the Jeppesen chart for Bisbee, AZ and, on locating thechart, causes the menu of FIG. 2 to disappear from screen 12 and theJeppesen chart shown in FIG. 3 to appear.

The menu depicted in FIG. 2 is the primary menu. Other menus can be madeto appear on screen 12 by touching screen 12 above selected alphanumericcharacters. For instance, if screen 12 is touched above the lined offareas "M" 24, "E" 24, "N" 25, "U" 26, "A" 21, and "ENTER" 20, thencontrol unit 51 removes the primary menu of FIG. 2 from screen 12 andcauses supplemental MENU A (not shown) to appear on screen 12. Variousother desired alphanumeric character designations can be programmed intounit 51 to call up particular navigation chart data, to use the unit ofFIGS. 1 to 3 as a calculator, to cause the particular position of thevehicle carrying the hand-held unit to be displayed on screen 12 eitherpictorially or in written description, etc.

The Jeppesen navigation chart shown in LCD screen 12 in FIG. 3 includesfixed environmental checkpoints including the Bisbee airport runway 26,mountain peaks 27-29, and DME's 30 and 31. The longitude--latitudeposition of the vehicle carrying the navigation system of the inventionis continually shown 32 on the navigation chart of FIG. 3, along withthe altitude 33 of the vehicle. The chart contains other data useful tothe pilot of an aircraft passing near the Bisbee area or landing atBisbee International Airport. Once a particular navigation chart iscaused to appear on screen 12, control unit 51 causes the chart toscroll upwardly, downwardly, or laterally to continuously maintainvehicle 32 on screen 12 in relation to nearby environmental checkpoints.Consequently, if vehicle 32 alters the heading shown in FIG. 3 and movesin the direction of arrow B and off of the Bisbee Jeppesen chart, theentire chart begins to scroll off of screen 12 in the direction ofarrows C and the chart adjacent the left edge 34 of the Bisbee chart isrecalled from memory 52 by unit 51 and begins to appear and scroll ontothe left hand portion of screen 12 in FIG. 3. This feature of theinvention permits a pilot to always know the position of his aircraft 32with respect to environmental checkpoints in the geographic area he isoverflying.

An important novel feature of the invention is the utilization ofcompact disk 15 as a read and write memory unit. Compact disk 15 isinitially programmed with a set of Jeppesen charts or other data for aparticular geographic area. Such charts are presently compiled forpilots in manuals which are periodically updated to reflect the additionor removal of pertinent fixed environmental checkpoints and other data.The manuals are updated by manually removing and discarding selectedpages and inserting new revised pages in the manuals. In contrast, inthe practice of the invention disk 15 is, when updating is required,removed from housing 13 and, along with a key access compact disk (notshown), taken to a central terminal which is in communication with acentral computer containing update information. The central computercommunicates with the terminal via telephone line, fiber optic, or otherelectromagnetic radiation communication means. The key access compactdisk contains a code and other information necessary for the terminal toupdate compact laser disk 15. The key access compact disk is inserted inthe terminal first and read by the terminal. The key access disk is thenremoved and compact disk 15 inserted. If the terminal reads theappropriate code and other information from the key access disk, theterminal then, when disk 15 is installed, confirms that the codecontained on compact disk 15 corresponds to that on the key access diskand then writes update information on the portion of the disk 15containing inaccurate or insufficient data. The terminal can completelyerase a portion of the information on laser disk 15 and write completelynew information on the erased portion of disk 15. Also, if there isadditional unused storage space on disk 15, the terminal can write newinformation on the unused blank portion of disk 15. After the terminalhas updated compact disk 15, the disk is removed and reinserted in slot14 of housing 13.

The hand-held unit of FIGS. 1 to 3 can be provided with a port forreceiving electromagnetic signals from a terminal so that disk 15 or aRAM chip can be updated while in the hand-held unit. In this embodimentof the invention, disk 15 is removed from the hand-held unit and the keyaccess compact disk is installed. The key access disk is read by controlunit 51 and the information transmitted to the terminal. The key accessdisk is removed and disk 15 installed. Data corresponding to the codedata on the key access disk is read from disk 15 by control unit 51 andtransmitted to the terminal. If the required code data is present onboth the key access disk and disk 15, the terminal transmits updateinformation to control unit 51. Unit 51 is provided with the ability to"write" the update information on disk 15 or to enter the updateinformation on a RAM chip or other memory means. Unit 51 selectivelyinserts the update information on disk 15. Control unit 51 can eraseportions or all of the memory on disk 15 prior to entering updateinformation on disk 15. The information contained on the key access diskcan be permanently programmed into control unit 51 to obviate the needfor a separate key access disk. Control unit 51 can be programmed suchthat a key access compact disk must be inserted and read prior toutilization by control unit 51 of the information on disk 15. Beforeutilizing the information on disk 15, the control unit 51 would insurethat disk 15 had a code number and other information corresponding tothe code information on the key access disk.

As would be appreciated by those of skill in the art, the key accessdisk can also permit hard copies of disk 15 to be made on a home or PCtype computer if, as noted above, the code on disk 15 corresponds to thecode on the key access disk.

While screen 12 is presently preferably a LCD screen, gas tube or otherflat screen technology can be utilized in the practice of the invention.Screen 12 is preferably fabricated from touch sensitive glass so that amenu displayed on screen 12 can be utilized to enter information incontrol unit 51 and memory 52 in the manner earlier described. A pushbutton keyboard, telephone push button system or other known system canbe incorporated in the system of the invention as a data entry system53.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram which utilizes a preferred embodiment of thenavigation system of the invention, the main components of which are adisplay 50, a microprocessor control unit 51, and a memory 52. A dataentry system 53 and a vehicle position information system 80 areprovided. As indicated by the dashed lines, control unit 51 performs thedual function of navigation chart determination 55 and menu modedetermination 56. Control unit 51 can also determine the position of thevehicle with respect to known environmental checkpoints. Memory 52contains navigation chart and vehicle position information 57 and menuinformation 58. Vehicle position information 80 is obtained fromnavigation satellites or other sources earlier mentioned and is directedto the data entry system 53 which inputs the vehicle positioninformation 57 into memory 52 and control unit 51. The navigation chartinformation 57 is normally installed in memory 52, i.e., in laser disk15, prior to the initial installation of memory 52 in the navigationsystem. However, if desired, data entry system 53 can also direct suchinformation into memory 52. In addition to inputing vehicle positioninformation, data entry system 53 is preferably utilized in conjunctionwith display 50 to input data defining the particular geographic areafor which a navigation chart or other data is desired. The data input bysystem 53 can also specifically designate a particular chart or otherinformation to be displayed on screen 12. When the system of FIG. 4 isinitially activated, control unit 51 makes menu mode determination 56and generates signals causing the primary menu of FIG. 2 to appear onscreen 12 of display 50. If other supplemental menus are selected byentering appropriate information with the primary menu, then controlunit 51 makes another mode determination 56 and generates controlsignals 59 causing the appropriate supplemental menu from menuinformation 58 to be directed to screen 12 of display 50. When theprimary menu or other menu depicted by display 50 is utilized to enterdata 53 defining a particular navigation chart or geographic area, thencontrol unit 51 makes navigation chart determination 55 to select thechart from navigation chart and position information 57 corresponding tothe particular geographic area and generates control signals 59 whichare fed to display 50 to depict the chart on screen 12.

Memory 52 can be any suitable prior art memory unit such as are commonlyused in navigation, telecommunication and other types of communicationsystems. For example, electromagnetic memories such as magnetic,optical, solid state, etc. or mechanical memories such as paper tape canbe utilized. A compact laser disk 15 or RAM chip are presentlypreferred. The presently preferred RAM chip is a Hitachi 41256-150. TheRAM chip can be updated over a telephone line or other electromagneticradiation communication means interfacing between the RAM chip and acentral computer containing update information. A Motorola M68000 orcomparable electronic microprocessor can be programmed to function as acontrol unit 51.

Memory 52 can be updated by an update line sensor 54 which receives dataover an update line 83. Sensor 54 will not generate signals directingupdate information to memory 52 until key access determination system 81confirms that a proper key access component 82, i.e., a key accesscompact disk or similar component containing a clearance code, has beeninserted in the key access determination system 81 and that theclearance code on the key access compact disk corresponds with theclearance code in memory 52.

FIG. 5 is a block flow diagram which illustrates a typical program orlogic function which is executed by the control unit 51 in determiningthe particular menu, navigation chart, or other information to be shownon screen 12 of display 50 of FIG. 4. The basic control program 61consists of commands to "start and initialize" 62, "read memory" 63 and"transfer control" 64 to the menu mode interpretation sub-routine 67.

The menu mode determination 67 consists of commands to "interpretmemory" 68 to determine if geographical data defining a particularnavigation chart or other desired information has been "entered" 70 or"not entered" 69 via data entry system 53. "Geographical data notentered" 69 is followed by "continue menu display" 71, which causes theprimary menu or other menu to be displayed until data defining a desirednavigation chart is entered by touching screen 12 in the manner earlierdescribed. "Geographical data entered" 70 is followed by "transfercontrol" 72 to navigation chart determination sub-routine 73.

The navigation chart determination sub-routine 73 consists of commandsto "interpret memory" 74 to determine if the chart identified by the"geographical data entered" 70 is "in memory" 75 or "not in memory" 76.If the chart is "in memory" 75 then control unit 51 generates signal 59causing screen 12 of display 50 to "display chart" 77. If the chart is"not in memory" 76, the control unit 51 generates signals 59 causingscreen 12 to display "CHART N/A", where "N/A" designates "notavailable". The commands "display chart" 77 and "display `chart n/a`" 78are followed by "return to control program" 79. The control program 61,menu mode interpretation sub-routine 67 and navigation chartdetermination sub-routine 73 are repeated as indicated by the "repeat tolast memory step" 65 of the control program 61 followed by an "end"program step 66 which completes execution of the program.

Disk 15, the key access disk, and the RAM chip are transportable andconcealable on the person. The power for the hand-held unit of FIGS. 1to 3 can be supplied by a battery carried in the unit or by any othersuitable power means.

As utilized herein, the term vehicle encompasses aircraft, motor cars,boats and other forms of transportation craft for persons or objects.

Control unit 51 can include supplemental memory means in addition to thememory provided by a laser disk 15 or RAM chip. Such supplemental memorymeans could, for example, include information which control unit 51requires to make the navigation chart determination 55 or to performother functions.

Having described my invention in such terms as to enable those skilledin the art to understand and practice it, and having identified thepresently preferred embodiments thereof, I claim:
 1. A navigation systemfor a vehicle, including(a) a display screen: (b) memory means forstoring navigation chart information for a selected geographical area,including fixed environmental checkpoints in said area; (c) means forstoring information to update said navigation chart information storedin said memory means; (d) means in communication with said updateinformation storing means for transmitting an electromagnetic radiationsignal carrying said update information; (e) sensor means for detectingthe touching of a fingertip to said display screen to generate signalsrepresenting certain environmental checkpoints and other chartinformation contained in said memory means for a portion of saidselected geographical area; (f) means in communication with said sensormeans to recall from said memory means said chart information for saidportion of said selected geographical area; (g) means in communicationwith said recall means for generating signals corresponding to saidchart information in said portion of said selected geographical area todisplay said information on said screen; and, (h) means for receivingsaid electromagnetic radiation signal and processing said signal todirect said update information to said memory means.
 2. The navigationof claim 1 wherein said memory means comprises a compact laser disk. 3.A navigation system for a vehicle, including(a) a display screen; (b)memory means for storing navigation chart information for a selectedgeographical area, said information including fixed environmentalcheckpoints in said area; (c) means for storing information to updatesaid navigation chart information stored in said memory means; (d) meansin communication with said update information storing means to transmitan electromagnetic radiation signal carrying said update information;(e) sensor means for generating signals representing certainenvironmental checkpoints and other chart information contained in saidmemory means for a portion of said selected geographical area; (f) meansin communication w1th sa1d sensor means to recall from said memory meanssaid chart information for said portion of said selected geographicalarea; (g) means in communication with said recall means for generatingsignals corresponding to said chart information in said portion of saidselected geographical area to display said information on said screen;(h) means for receiving said electromagnetic radiation signal andprocessing said signal to direct said update information to said memorymeans; (i) a key access component concealable on the person and carryingidentification information required by said system prior to thedirecting of said update information into said memory means; and, (j)means for reading said key access component to detect saididentification information carried thereon; said update information notbeing directed to said memory means until said reading means detectssaid required identification information on said key access component.4. The navigation system of claim 3 wherein said memory means comprisesa compact laser disk.